Chapter 783: Deadly Joke (Part 10)_1

The common cold, a ubiquitous yet troublesome illness, has been experienced by almost everyone in the world. Despite being so common, there is still no immediate and effective cure.

If you go to the hospital with a cold, the doctor will certainly tell you to "rest well." In fact, these four words work better than any cold medicine, because nothing is more effective than your own immunity.

Under the fast pace of modern life, few people take leave of absence due to a cold. Most people, hoarse and stuffy, resignedly go to work. Without a doubt, this minor illness, which doesn't lead to serious consequences, tends to make people extremely uncomfortable at work.

Coughing and a runny nose are the lightest symptoms. Headache and weakness are the most lethal. Regardless, people living in modern cities have a warm bed to lay on after work, can cover up with a thick quilt for a good night's sleep and, if the illness becomes severe, they can go to the hospital for an IV drip, or at worst, be admitted to the hospital for a couple of days.

But what does Bruce have right now?

He only has a tin can. It doesn't block wind, keeps out no rain, and is so shabby it makes people want to cry.

Forget about cold medicine, he can't even start a fire right now. He has no bed, no blanket, and no food.

Bruce knows he has to leave this cold, shallow beach. He's already losing feeling in his fingers and toes.

Last night, he planned to make a fire, but after a day of manual labor, it's no wonder he fell asleep without starting a fire due to fatigue, and then got a chill due to weakened immunity.

But now, Bruce doesn't have time for treatments. He's to be driving at eight o'clock in the morning to fetch goods from the Mob's warehouse. If he's late, he won't be able to settle the day's payment until tomorrow. That means he won't have any money to buy food for the whole day.

Bruce had no choice but to drag his weary body away from the Can Zone, drive a truck, and transport goods within the Mob's territory.

But during the shipment, he found that all the hardships he'd suffered before had broken out all at once.

Colds can cause gastrointestinal weakness. Bruce had drank contaminated water before and contracted a mild form of gastroenteritis. These days, because working as a truck driver kept him so busy, he didn't have time to boil water. He was already lucky to find water from a tap, and he vaguely made do with food.

People who have never drunk unboiled water have sensitive digestive systems when it comes to unsterilized water. Similar with people who have never eaten spicy and oily food, their stomachs also reject it. Plus, the cold weakens the spleen and stomach. That day at noon, after eating a loaf of bread and two sausages and drinking a cup of cold water, Bruce had to rush to the back of the truck, feeling an intense urge to vomit.

Most people know that vomiting and diarrhea show different symptoms. The weakness from diarrhea only lasts for a short period of time after the event. As long as there's energy in the body, recovery is fast. Usually, once the stomach stops hurting, regular activities can resume.

However, vomiting, though it does not cause immediate severe weakness, leads to stomachaches, dizziness, nausea, and cold sweats which linger. The pain in the stomach is not as acute as intestinal pain, but it lasts longer and recurs more frequently.

After Bruce emptied his stomach, he felt a bit better. But he soon started to feel nauseated again once he sat back in the truck.

Given his understanding of medical knowledge, Bruce knew his gastroenteritis had worsened. But even if he wanted to give up now, the question was how he could get back to Wayne Manor.

The main problem was how he would explain to Alfred why he ran to the slums like a maniac and stayed there for several days, only to end up sick?

In reality, unless there are benefits to be gained, no wealthy people would be willing to immerse themselves in the lives of the lower class. To accomplish such a task requires tremendous willpower, much more than they could imagine.

Batman never lacks determination. The more miserable he feels, the more he realizes that his sufferings only represent the tip of the iceberg. He knows that his previous affluent lifestyle and far superior intelligence made his starting point much higher than that of ordinary people.

At least, after being subjected to a cold, suffering from gastroenteritis which caused him to vomit and have diarrhea, working all day with no house to stay in and no fire to warm him, suffering in the cold all night, he could still move freely.

Those expensive gym equipment and rare, unaffordable nutrition products weren't wasted. But even so, all of these were gradually being eroded, just like the harsh wind in the wilderness slowly eroding the soft feathers of a young bat who has just left its nest.

Bruce didn't go back to the Can Zone. It didn't even compare to staying in the truck. His work for the day made him some money, but he didn't know where to buy food suitable for his gastroenteritis.

Bruce figured out he needed to find a place to get treatment, but after driving around the East District for a while, he couldn't find any pharmacies.